10 Best Productivity Tips From Former Presidents
Presidents Day is this Monday, which means it’s the perfect time to remember how some of the greatest people this country has known achieved their goals. Here are ten of our favorite pieces of advice from former US presidents.
10. Embrace the change
As humans, we are truly afraid of change . We struggle to change habits , reform our financial lives, and are mortally afraid of failure . Presidents do not have the luxury of being afraid of change. They need to keep several points of view in their heads in order to solve the problems of future generations and their own.
Presidents need to manage change, so it’s no surprise that they have plenty of advice on how to do this. Few have lived in such a time of change as John F. Kennedy, who once said :
But Goethe tells us in his greatest poem that Faust lost the freedom of his soul when he said to the passing moment: “Stop, you are so beautiful.” And our freedom will also be threatened if we stop for a moment, if we build on our achievements, if we resist the pace of progress. Time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who only look to the past or the present are likely to miss the future.
Of course, while it’s important to learn from the mistakes of the past, nostalgia for the past can be a boring, manipulative emotion that keeps you from seeing the needs of the future.
9. Take a breath before answering when you are angry
Most of us have no doubts that we can’t wait to push our mouth away at the slightest hint of something we disagree with, but this is a stupid idea . If the president did this, they would find themselves in awkward situations.
To keep from making silly comments, Thomas Jefferson set a few rules for himself. In The Ten Words of Canons for Observation in Practical Life, Jefferson gave a number of tips for improving your life, in particular: “When you are angry, count ten before you speak; if he gets very angry, a hundred. ” We’ve already heard about the idea of waiting five minutes before responding to criticism , and it’s always worth repeating.
Other helpful tips from Jefferson’s letter include, “Never waste money until you have it,” “pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and coldness,” and, curiously enough, “always grab things by their sleek handle.” …
8. Simplify your presentations.
Nobody likes a rambling presentation that is devoid of meaningful points. While we know that good public speaking takes preparation , Woodrow Wilson reminds us that it also takes precision.
A short speech seems to be easier to write, but rather a sign that a lot of effort has been put into it. Short speeches are a sign of strength and preparation, which Woodrow Wilson knew better than anyone else. He once said , “If I have to speak for ten minutes, it will take me a week to get ready; if fifteen minutes, then three days; if half an hour, then two days; if it’s an hour, then I’m ready. “
7. Be truthful
It’s easy to assume that those in power will share lies more often than the truth, but there are certain times when it’s best to make the truth as clear as possible . Grover Cleveland, often considered the most honest president we’ve had, knew best when asked if the Democratic Party should hide a child born out of wedlock when he said, “ Whatever you do, tell the truth. “
Cleveland has done much more than just talk. As mayor of Buffalo, he refused to turn a blind eye to the wicked alderman, and as governor, he attacked Tammany Hall , a New York-based political organization known for electoral fraud. Cleveland also knew what to say no to , vetoing an insane 584 bills passed by Congress .
6. Exercise every day.
Exercise is a very important way to keep your body and mind healthy. It’s even good for sleep . Exercise is essential to stay sane in a stressful career .
Many presidents have made it a rule to add exercise to their daily routine. Obama planned an hour of exercise a day , Clinton was an avid runner , Teddy Roosevelt loved tennis , jogging and boxing. George W. Bush was also an avid tennis player and runner , and Jimmy Carter was a cross-country runner . John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan were swimmers . Time and time again, we see exercise is just as important for physical health as it is for mental health, and in the stressful situation of the president, this seems to be true.
5. Do what you can’t buy
DIY projects have long been one of the best ways to learn new skills and solve your own problems . You probably don’t think presidents have a lot of skill in this area, but time-solver Thomas Jefferson proves the idea is wrong.
Wired once called Thomas Jefferson’s home ” the 18th century gadget palace, ” filled with all the latest inventions and gimmicks. While Jefferson loved his modification of the old world, few designs exemplify his ingenuity than his revolving bookcase. This bookstand held five books, open at an adjustable angle, so he could rotate and read them all at the same time for research, like some twisted version of an 18th century tabbed view. He also invented a writing instrument called a polygraph (pictured above) that copied everything he wrote onto a duplicated sheet of paper.
4. Write a set of rules for yourself.
Consistency is important to a president, and the best presidents have a set of rules for themselves. Few have done it as publicly as George Washington.
Washington’s Rules of Politeness and Dignity in Company and Conversation were a guide to remain open and courteous to everyone. Here are a few highlights:
14. Do not turn your back on others, especially in conversation; do not run on a table or desk on which another is reading or writing; do not rely on anyone.
18. Do not read letters, books or papers in the company, but when necessary, you must ask permission; stay away from other people’s books or writings to read if you don’t want to, or to voice your opinion about them without asking. Also, don’t look close when someone is writing a letter.
20. Body gestures should match your conversation.
35. Keep your conversation with business people short and comprehensive.
73. Before speaking, think, do not pronounce imperfectly and do not pronounce the words too hastily, but orderly and clearly.
Making your own travel guide may sound a little silly, but it’s a great way to ground yourself and define exactly how you want your public persona to be. When it’s written down on paper, it’s easier to stay consistent.
3. Accept rivals to gain new perspectives
Most of us do not want to surround ourselves with people whose point of view is different from ours. However, this is exactly what Abraham Lincoln did with his cabinet, which we now call “The Rival Team,” a phrase borrowed from the book of the same name.
Rather than finding like-minded people for various cabinet positions, Lincoln selected his presidential rivals, many of whom did not like each other.
Although he endeavored to surround himself with a multitude of people to hone his point of view, few people are more exemplary for this than William Seward , who would eventually become his secretary of state and whom Lincoln won with a bitter victory. to secure a presidential nomination. Despite this loss, Seward and Lincoln will remain inseparable, despite their many policy differences. Different points of view are important, and instead of constantly competing with your rivals, it is better to learn from them .
2. Organize your day the night before.
Towards the end of the day, most of us want to relax watching cable TV and get some distraction before the next busy day. Barack Obama reminds us to spend a little time getting ready for the next day .
Obama often stayed up until 1 am, leafing through documents to help him organize his thoughts. We’ve already seen this idea, which many have repeated , but it’s important to remember that most of us don’t need to do this every night. The job of a president is much more stressful than yours, so it makes sense to put it into practice in your daily life. The rest of us can use this tip before big meetings, presentations, or deadlines.
1. Chat with people smarter than you
The people you surround yourself with have a big impact on your success , so it makes sense to surround yourself with people who are smarter and more capable than you. Chances are, you don’t know everything, so if you learn to delegate and build a good team, you can achieve much more.
Most presidents have made it their mission to find the best and smartest for their cabinet, but Woodrow Wilson may have summed it up best when he said , “Not only do I use all my brains, but everything I can borrow.” Dwight D. Eisenhower also actively maintained trust in the mind of others. In his book At Ease: Stories I Tell My Friends, he says:
Always try to associate yourself and learn as much as possible from those who know more than you, who make you better, who see more clearly than you.
Remember, “ I don’t know ” is one of the smartest things you can say, and once you do, you can find the experts you need.